


No Comfort

by Responder2



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020), 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020) RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:47:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24703297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Responder2/pseuds/Responder2
Summary: Michelle has a bad call and Owen knows just what to do...or not do.
Relationships: Michelle Blake/Owen Strand
Comments: 1
Kudos: 15





	No Comfort

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little short that came to me.

Owen sighed as he watched Michelle’s jeep pull into the driveway. He had gotten a call from TK earlier about a run they had gone on.  
An unresponsive infant. Tk wanted to warn him that Michelle had given CPR to the child and tried everything in her power to revive the lifeless infant, but the infant had died in Michelle’s arms and the incident shook the entire squad...especially Michelle  
.  
He waited as the headlights dimmed, seconds later he heard the car door close. 

Five minutes later she still hadn’t come through the front door, so he stood up and went to it, opening it carefully. 

Michelle was sitting on the front steps, still in her uniform, bent over with her arms wrapped around her stomach. She was rocking ever so slightly back and forth. 

Owen moved toward her and sat on the step above her, placing his hands on her shoulders, he kissed the top of her head and whispered. “I’m sorry.” 

She nodded and her shoulders shook, a ragged breath escaping her. Owen gently pulled her back towards him, wrapping his arms around her.  
Her hand came up and grasped onto his arm. “She was only three months old.” She said, her voice barely a whisper.

Owen knew better than to try and offer any more words of comfort. He knew that as a first responder, you came across terrible situations.  
No one called the fire department or EMS or the police because it was a happy situation.  
In first responders there was a coping mechanism built in…you learned it over time. You went in, you did your job to the best of your ability and you move on. Sometimes you got a win, sometimes not.  
It was those ‘nots’ that got to you. Those times when it doesn’t go your way and fate takes over. 

As a first responder you learn to compartmentalize the tragedies that you encounter more often than most people see in a lifetime. You learn to do your job and no matter what the outcome you pick up and move on to do it again. Leave the images that you’d rather forget, the screams you never wanted to hear and the heartbreak you never wanted to feel in the back of your mind. 

It may seem cold to people that aren’t on the job. They may not understand the need to put everything away, because the truth was that if you didn’t, if you took every scene that you’d been to in your career home with you, you’d end up a basket case.

Owen knew too, that once in a while there would be one call, one scene that followed you home and stuck in your soul like a jagged piece of glass. One that would take longer to push down. One that caught you by surprise and made you ask a thousand questions about yourself. 

This was one of those times for Michelle and Owen knew nothing he could say would make her feel better tonight. 

Instead he sighed and squeezed her hand. “Let’s get you inside.” He whispered. 

Michelle drew in a deep breath and sat up straight, finally standing up. Owen stood up with her, taking her hand and leading her into the house.  
He let go of her hand as he stopped to lock the front door and she continued down the hall as Owen turned off the lamp in the living room that he had left on. 

When he finally made it to the bedroom, Michelle was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring off into space. Owen knelt down and untied her work boots, pulling them off one by one. 

He stood up and reached for the t-shirt Michelle had worn to bed the other night and handed it to her.  
He tilted his head in the direction of the bathroom. Michelle nodded, taking the shirt from him as she stood up. She stopped in front of him placing her forehead against his chest.  
Owen brought his arm around her and gently rubbed her back. After a moment she lifted her head, nodded and headed to the shower. 

Owen was waiting in bed when Michelle emerged from the bathroom dressed in his t-shirt, her hair hanging damp around her shoulders.

He lifted the covers and she crawled in, flopping down with part of her body on top of his. She rested her chin on his chest and looked at him, the sadness in her eyes making his heart hurt. 

“I love you Owen.” She whispered. 

“I love you too.” He answered and she rolled over so she was facing away from him. He scooted up against her backside as close as he could get and laid his arm across her waist.  
She took his hand in hers and sighed. Soon enough he felt her body relax against him, her breathing evening out into a steady rhythm. 

Owen knew that tomorrow morning she would be okay again and that in a couple of days she would put her uniform on, go back to work and do her job with the same authority and confidence that she always has. 

It’s what they all did.


End file.
